Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is recalling the riot that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress was certifying President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.
In her first interview since former President Donald Trump left office, McEnany is reacting to the U.S. Capitol riot where protesters stormed the building.
“I think at the beginning of the day, before everyone went to the rally, everyone was expecting peace,” McEnany said during her interview on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus.”
She continued, “We had been to hundreds of rallies — I’ve probably been to hundreds at this point, certainly many dozens — and they were nothing but peaceful events, and we expected that day to be the same.”
“And then as those events transpired, it was disbelief, shock, somber, sad, horrified by the violence, and it was a very hard, difficult day in the White House, there is no doubt,” McEnany added.
The former press secretary said it was a “widespread feeling” that “everyone felt” in condemning the actions that day.
Watch McEnany’s interview below:
https://twitter.com/TVNewsHQ/status/1366523851300098050
Trump was asked about his response to the deadly riot during an interview with Fox News’ Steve Hilton on Sunday.
He called the rally in Washington, D.C., before protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol a “lovefest.”
The former president also noted he suggested there should be 10,000 National Guard troops “ready,” as he thought the rally would be big ahead of time.
“They took that number, from what I understand, they gave it to the people at the Capitol, which is controlled by Pelosi, and I heard they rejected it because they didn’t think it would look good,” he claimed. “So, you know, that was a big mistake.”
Trump told his supporters at the “Save America Rally” at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol. And we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them.”
He continued, “Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.”
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” Trump added.
Additionally, Trump said at the time, “We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.”
On Jan. 7, McEnany sought to distance the Trump administration from the riot.
“We condemn it, the president and this administration, in the strongest possible terms,” she said at a press briefing.
